Fortunately, Zhang Hongmei had a good attitude and was a virtuous person. Otherwise, she would’ve been extremely envious!
“Seriously, how could you go home without telling anyone first? Everyone was looking for you. Qi Cuifen even went to the hostel several times to search for you.”
Sheng Ning had left suddenly, and she didn’t notify anyone before leaving. Her original plan was just to go see Xu Qigang, but he rejected her outright.
Remembering how Xu Qigang refused to see her, Sheng Ning’s good mood dissipated like a cloud of smoke, and her heart ached.
“I was suspended from taking part in all performances and trainings. I could only go home,” Sheng Ning said in embarrassment.
“Fair enough. It’s all Qin Cuifen’s fault. She kept telling us that you didn’t go home. She said you… you…” Zhang Hongmei hesitated. She tried to finish her sentence but couldn’t bring herself to.
“What did she say? That I ran off with a man?” Sheng Ning knew that Qin Cuifen wouldn’t have anything good to say about her and would be out smearing her reputation while she was away.
“How did you know?” Zhang Hongmei’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked dumbfounded.
“Heh heh…” Sheng Ning scoffed. Of course she knew.
She’d been stupid in the past and hadn’t understood why she was always targeted by rumors. She hadn’t been able to get rid of them no matter what she did. In this life, if she was still unable to figure out the mastermind behind it, she definitely deserved to die.
“Sheng Ning, don’t be angry. You’re not going to fight with her, are you?”
“I’m not angry, Hongmei. Tell me in detail exactly what she said about me.” In order to prove that she wasn’t angry, Sheng Ning did her best to maintain a smile on her face, but the smile slowly turned into a frown.
“She just said you kept shamelessly clinging onto Shen Jianguo. Stuff like that.”
“I knew it!” From the time she was a child until now, it had been the same kind of rumors over and over. She was no longer surprised by them.
Sheng Ning shoved her bag into Zhang Hongmei’s hands and asked her to bring it back to the hostel for her while she went to meet with Yang Wenying.
One month was up, and she had to meet Yang Wenying to obtain her consent before returning to the troupe.
“Reporting!”
“Come in!”
Sheng Ning held her head high and puffed her chest out as she entered. She gave the standard greeting. “Sheng Ning of the General Union Song and Dance Ensemble reporting!”
Yang Wenying stood up and greeted in return, “At ease!”
“Thank you, Director.”
“Comrade Sheng Ning, have you realized your mistake?” Yang Wenying leaned back in her chair, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Yes, Ma’am. I have realized my mistake.” Sheng Ning readily admitted her fault. She’d figure the rest out later. The song and dance ensemble was a place where skills and capabilities were recognized above all else. She’d been foolish and stupid in the past, and had thought that her beauty would be enough to get her through anything and everything.
She wasn’t going to make the same stupid mistake again. Regardless of whether it was respect or bouquets of flowers and applause, she was going to get it through hard work.
Yang Wenying kept her eyes trained on Sheng Ning’s face. When she was convinced that Sheng Ning meant what she said, she nodded her head in satisfaction. “All right! You don’t have to pull that long face in front of me. Go back, write a ten thousand word self-criticism to be put up on the bulletin board, and we’ll call it a day.”
Sheng Ning looked as if she’d been struck by a thunderbolt. Ten thousand words wasn’t a problem; the problem was having to put it up on the bulletin board. She was in the General Union Song and Dance Ensemble, and there were many departments in the General Union. Moreover, a lot of other people came in often to run errands. If she really posted it to the bulletin board, how was she going to show her face in public?
Yang Wenying saw Sheng Ning’s ashen face and inwardly rejoiced. “Are you going to disobey the order?” she asked, her face emotionless.
It was their duty to obey orders. Even if she had the courage of a lion, she would never dare to disobey orders. “Not at all. I’ll carry it out.”
“You’re officially back on the team tomorrow.”
“Yes. Thank you, Director!” Sheng Ning’s heart was finally at ease.
Yang Wenying watched her as she left and muttered to herself, “It’s only been a month. How did she change so much?”